OrangeTJ

It isn't necessary, but it is a significant upgrade. Reduces noise behind the boat a LOT, inside the boat a noticeable amount, and obviously reduces exhaust for the surfer. That said, we surfed behind our 2016 without one for two years and it was fine.

That 22" number just seems like complete nonsense. Maybe that's the draft when running at cruising speed or something when the boat is on plane lol.

Perfect explanations above. One thing I have found on my F22 (not an alpha) is that the plate can be push down so far that you can actually throw a pretty massive rooster tail. I don't recommend doing it for long as it has to be putting a ton of strain on the system, but it is pretty funny to do when pulling somebody on a tube. You can raise that rooster tail and then swing them through it. It is enough water being thrown that I would not do it when riders are centered in the wake as you could make it very difficult for them to breathe!

First thing to do is spray electronics cleaner into all of he knobs on the zone controller and run each knob through its full range. The unit in my 2016 started acting up in 2019 and that fixed it for the season. Now I just do that at the beginning of each season and all is well. Might not be your problem but it's worth a try!

3065 is an interesting spec. Very aggressive pitch at 13" but lots of cup at .180. Definitely a different setup than the 2775 at 12.5" pitch and .075 cup. Will be interested to hear your results!

If your boat has the 1.5 transmission ration, the 2775 should be really good! It is too shallow of pitch when combined with the 1.7, IMO, and I hated it on my boat for that reason. Felt like driving around in 4Lo, lol. The transmission ratio switched in 2016 and mine just happened to get the 1.7 ratio, which works very well with the 2247.

All I can say is that 22" sounds way shallower than I'd expect. I mean, the bottom of the prop itself is about 16" beneath the hull. Hard to imagine there's only 6" of boat in the water above that.

I have a bunch of pics and actually I think I posted a thread about the install here a few years back.

It is possible that having those 1100s all the way full is just too much, unless you are okay with running closer to 12 mph. I know in my 16 F22, which I special ordered 1100s for, filling them all the way doesn't make for the best wave unless I push the boat hard and run 12.2 or so. Running in the 11.2 - 11.6 mph range, II get the best wave with the surf side bag about 3/4 full and the off-side bag about 1/2 full. I can surf with them evenly filled just fine, but cheating weight to the surf side makes for a better wave on my boat. Also, on mine, using the cav plate at all only hurts to regular side wave. It can be helpful on the goofy side, though, up to about 33%. Past that it just crumbles the lip of the wave.

I've not seen anything like that published but I can tell you that I made my own spreadsheet using a simple calculation assuming 15% prop slip and it has actually turned out to be pretty accurate for the three different props I've used on my boat. Not perfect and doesn't tell you the "feel" but it's pretty close on RPM at any given speed. That is with 15" diameter props...I don't know how it would hold up with different diameter props as I would assume there'd be less slip with a larger diameter. The short version is that a 15 X 14.25 prop with .150 cup (i.e. Acme 2247) has worked out to be just about perfect for us on a 16 F22 with the 400 and the 1.72 transmission ratio (or is that 1.76....I have lost track!).

No impact on the wave on our 16 F22 with a Garelick 3 step ladder. Makes getting in and out so much easier/more graceful for the ladies for sure!

Unless your current prop has even less pitch than the 12" of the 2419, it will almost certainly not lower your rpm at any given speed. Generally speaking, less pitch = more rpm for any particular speed. It's like operating in a lower gear in your car or truck. It is possible that your boat needs that lower pitch in order to reach the portion of your engine's powerband necessary to pull whatever load you are trying to pull, but I would not expect to reduce rpm by going to a low pitch prop.

I use it either to get up to plane quickly when very heavily loaded (i.e. ballast full for aggressive wakeboarders) or to adjust the attitude of the boat when cruising (keeping an eye on the fuel burn rate to find the most efficient cruise attitude). Oh yeah, and sometimes I put it full down when pulling a tube to create a rooster tail to soak the tubers, but only for a moment! On my boat, anything more than about 25% deployment ruins the lip of the wake for both surfing and wakeboarding, so it is typically at 0 deployment for watersports use. Even at 0 deployment, I believe it has an effect of reducing prop wash and potential porpoising, though.

I don't know about the Paragon, but a buddy of mine has a 2023 G23 and that thing THROWS DOWN on the surf wave. On setting 5, it is simultaneously tall, steep, long and clean. Powerful enough that I had to significantly alter my stance to keep from nose diving. Easy to ride pretty darn far back, too. Having surfed behind a handful of boat beside my own MB, including multiple Axis boats, a Malibu LSV 23 and a 2016 G23, this new G was easily the most impressive surf wave I've experience. FWIW, I personally think my MB is in second place....but then I may be biased.

For surfing, neither. I go under entirely and attach the rope to the tow point through the opening in the bimini where the tow point goes through it. Doesn't rub anything at all.